A Day of Rest

God’s Word tells us to work six days and to rest one day. A day of rest, according to Scripture, isn’t optional—it’s a mandate.

Regardless of one’s occupation, whether plowing a field in the Midwest or sowing seeds in the mission field, we all need time to disconnect and recharge our spiritual batteries.

Still, it’s easy to overthink this—to get hung up on the letter of the law instead of the Spirit of God’s intention. After all, whether we work or whether we rest, we are called to do all things for the love of God.

That’s one of the central takeaways I’ve found in The Practice of the Presence of God. Writing from a 17th-century Carmelite monastery, Brother Lawrence described how washing dishes or repairing sandals could be acts of worship when done for the love of God.

So today is a day of rest for me.

I still went out and fed the birds, just as I do on every “work” day. I’m still writing this journal note, as I do the other six days. But the difference today is intention.

My intention is to relax with the Holy Spirit rather than work alongside Him.

It’s a subtle shift, but an important one—one that keeps me from slipping into the obsessive, rule-bound mindset of the Pharisees. On a day of rest, I don’t work out. But I also don’t stop living if my wife and I go for a walk or a hike.

It’s all done for the glory, honor, and praise of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

_______

“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.” Exodus 20:8 (NKJV)

“And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men.” Colossians 3:23 (NKJV)